Suspected Cheating in Home League

I play in a small home league(around 20 players). Works on a points system where the top ten players after 16 games play for the final prize pool. In our case it's around $3000. We're all friends. So when it was pointed out to the hosts that one player was observed cheating, by subtly checking the deck while he was the dealer to see what cards are coming on the flop/turn/river, I found it very disconcerting. Trouble is, besides the fact that this player would make impossible calls and miraculously hit enormous hands. (Ex: call 3/4 his stack in a 3 way all in pre-flop with K-2o, only to hit trip twos. This is just one of many examples) There was no real proof. What we decided, the hosts, myself, and my wife (she's the one who initially noticed the shenanigans) was to introduce a new league rule that the cards must be placed on the table when not being dealt. Which seems to have stymied his technique. Also made it pretty obvious that someone was on to him without a direct accusation. My question to everyone is, do you think we did the right thing?

Hey! If you are all friends, front him with the accusations cos he doesn't sound like the kind of friend I would want to call a friend. When you say there was no real prooof, think again. You have evidence of a witness seeing him doing it and evidence of the outcome. Remember....there is no such thing as a friend in poker! (Especially when there is $3000 on the table). How are you all going to feel when he wins it?

Best wishes

BB

IMO you did the right thing but i would think about the word "friend" again

If caught cheating, banned. Not fair to the rest of the players/friends. He forfeits whatever he put in the league and is banned from future poker nights. May sound harsh, but if you have no integrity with your "friends" then you don't deserve to be a part of it. My 2cents.

Stone himmmmmmmmmmm! Seriously though I think you did the right thing. If you can't catch him in the act, make it impossible for him to cheat.

Wow I have heard of anyone ever doing anything like that before wow I have many home games makes me slightly worried now.

My father and his buddies played a weekly poker game for many years and if one of the regular guys couldn't play a guy from a call list joined the game. Well one guy was caught dealing from the bottom of the deck. The reaction was swift, he was asked to leave and never to be invited back. The boys also made it known around the poker circles that he had been caught cheating.

You did the right thing, especially if he was really a friend. Pretty standard rule though to keep the cards on the table at all times while or playing or when not dealing. At least that's how we do it around here.